WhatsApp develops its own emoji to debut in a future update

WhatsApp’s latest beta client reveals that the company has developed its own set of emoji that will be used as distinct icons on both Android and iOS.

Here’s an update that absolutely nobody needed: Developers exploring the latest build of WhatsApp’s beta client have uncovered that the app is soon set to receive its own set of emoji independent of system icons on either Android or iOS.

The custom set of emoji bear some similarities to the icons found on iOS, though the set reveals that WhatsApp will soon accommodate support up to Emoji 5.0 – the latest version to receive support from Unicode.

The change is an interesting one, considering that Facebook has its own in-house set of emoji that appear on both its core platform as well as on Messenger. The fact that WhatsApp would even receive its own set are an indication that the social media company may continue to develop the platform as a relatively independent entity from the rest of its offerings.

The change comes ahead of revelations that Facebook will soon introduce a business client for small and medium business to connect with customers, while large-scale enterprises will benefit from paid-for tools to handle more advanced communication tools.

The debut of the new emoji set may help WhatsApp carve out its own identity independent from either the likes of Messenger or its rivals, such as Telegram.

There’s presently no word as to when the new emoji set will debut, and it is likely that Facebook may bundle the change as part of a larger update to arrive at some point in the not-so-distant future.